** FILE ** World Series MVP Paul Molitor of the Toronto Blue Jays rips a solo home run in the fifth inning of Game 6 to help lead the Jays to an 8-6 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies in Toronto, Canada, Saturday night, Oct. 23, 1993. Molitor and reliever Dennis Eckersley were elected to baseball's Hall of Fame on Tuesday< jan. 6, 2004 in their first year of eligibility. Molitor was picked on 431 of 506 ballots (85.2 percent) cast by reporters who have been members of the Baseball Writers' Association of America for 10 or more years. (AP Photo/Hans Deryk) less

** FILE ** World Series MVP Paul Molitor of the Toronto Blue Jays rips a solo home run in the fifth inning of Game 6 to help lead the Jays to an 8-6 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies in Toronto, Canada, ... more

Eck 'overwhelmed' to be in the Hall / A's star closer only 3rd reliever elected -- and on 1st ballot, too

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The subject could be one of his 390 career saves, a three-up, three- down, nine-pitch inning. Or it could be his "ultimate walkoff piece," Kirk Gibson limping to the plate and pulling his slider into the annals of World Series lore.

Tuesday he stood tall again, this time honored by, in his words, "the most overwhelming experience I've ever felt in my life." Eckersley, along with Paul Molitor, was selected to the Hall of Fame, only the third relief pitcher to make Cooperstown (after Hoyt Wilhelm and A's predecessor Rollie Fingers) and the first to get in on the first ballot.

"Daunting is a good word," Eckersley said of his emotions after getting the call in Boston. "I don't know what to think. I need to regroup here. I feel like a child."

Eckersley received 421 votes on 506 ballots from 10-year members of the Baseball Writers' Association of America, amounting to 83.2 percent. The requirement was 75 percent, or 380 votes.

Molitor, though he was mostly a designated hitter while compiling 3,319 career hits for three teams, also was selected in his first year of eligibility with 431 votes (85.2 percent). Ryne Sandberg finished out of the running with 309 votes, followed by three other closers -- Bruce Sutter (301), Rich Gossage (206) and Lee Smith (185) -- along with Jim Rice (276) and Andre Dawson (253).

The induction ceremonies will be July 25 in Cooperstown, N.Y., increasing Hall of Fame membership to 258 -- 100 elected by the BBWAA.

Eckersley threw a no-hitter with the Indians in 1977, won 20 games for the Red Sox in 1978, threw his 100th career complete game as a Cub in 1986 (at Candlestick Park), moved from Oakland to the Cardinals in 1996 and completed his career with the Red Sox in 1998.

But when he's enshrined, he wants to represent the A's. It's the Hall of Fame's decision which team's cap will be displayed on Eckersley's plaque -- "as long as my mustache looks all right, everything will be OK," he said -- but the clear choice is Oakland, where Eckersley renewed his career as a reliever under manager Tony La Russa and pitching coach Dave Duncan.

"I wasn't real excited about going to the bullpen," he recalled in Tuesday's conference call. "I wasn't going to the bullpen to be a star. I was going out there just to hang around and clean up. But I remember being in a very accepting mode at that time of my life, with a lot of personal change taking place (he was treated for alcohol abuse shortly before his trade to the A's).

"I credit Duncan with having the foresight and Tony for having confidence in me. They played a huge part of my success. And playing for a great ballclub and having saves out there four or five times a week didn't hurt."

Eckersley also credited A's fans, saying, "Every time I left the bullpen, they took off in the stands. It was like magic in Oakland. We had it going on there. With the fans, I could do no wrong. It was like I was walking on water. I'll always remember that."

He will be the fourth prominent Oakland Athletic enshrined, joining Catfish Hunter, Reggie Jackson and Fingers.

An example of Eckersley's dominance came in 1989, when he walked only three batters all season. In 1990, he slipped and walked four batters, his first coming June 12 (snapping a streak of 185 walkless batters), while allowing just five earned runs for an 0.61 ERA.

Two years later, he won both the American League MVP and Cy Young awards after converting 51 of 54 save opportunities. He issued 11 walks, but six were intentional, and struck out 93 in 80 innings.

After saves, he often let out a roar and, in one motion, pumped his fist in the air and pointed to the final batter. As he explained on Tuesday, "For the most part, I was paranoid and uptight every time I pitched, until the last out. That's why I needed to go off. I got carried away sometimes. But that's how much of a relief it was for me to get through it."

Through it all, Eckersley spoke a language all his own (Eck-speak) and made up the term "walkoff," which now is uttered by players and broadcasters whenever someone ends a game with a home run. In Eck-speak, the term referred to the pitcher, not the batter.

"I hate to get credit for it because I did enough walking off, including the ultimate walkoff in the World Series," Eckersley said, referring to Gibson's stunning game-winning home run for the 1988 Dodgers. "There were a lot of pains in those walkoffs."

Even with a walkoff bunt. Tuesday, Molitor remembered bunting to end a game against Eckersley in both players' final season, Eckersley cussing at Molitor as they left the field.

"If you ask him now, he's probably still mad about it," Molitor said, "but he probably doesn't think it was a bad play."

"I like to think it was forgotten, but he didn't forget, and neither did I," said Eckersley, laughing. "He's a little weasel, is what he is."

Molitor played 21 seasons for the Brewers, Blue Jays and Twins and his 3, 319 hits rank eighth on the all-time list. He benefited by playing in the American League, where he appeared as a DH in more games than at any other position.